Hi Everyone!! Monday has returned with a vengeance and I would be lying if I said I was terribly excited about it... but alas, another week is underway! Before I go any further, I want to thank Amy for featuring me as her "current blog love!" She was one of my very first readers (and most supportive!) and for that she will always have a special spot in my little blogger heart. In honor of her (and because I think everyone should take a moment on Monday morning to think about what makes them smile), I will draw up a happy list like the one she has up on her blog today.

(PS: Amy also indirectly introduced me to GoJane.com by wearing such awesome boots all the time! And while I was rather unimpressed when the heel immediately snapped off of my very first GoJane purchase, I received the no-hassle replacement in record time and therefore forgive them and will consider it a fluke--for now). The new, unbroken shoes are on my feet right now (please note that the snow is melting!!!):

10 Things that Make Me Happy-As-Can-Be:

1. The sight, smell and sound of the ocean

2. Seeing a great movie on the big screen

3. Thoughtful walks

(on country roads, through the woods, on city streets)

5. A glass of red wine and a bubble bath

6. Reading in the sun

7. Lively dinners out with my family or friends

8. Spicy, spicy food

9. Windows down on road trips

10. Traveling by train through foreign countries

(dress: Marshall's; skirt/tights: Goodwill; belt: thrifted, shoes: GoJane.com)

This weekend K and I went to see Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" in 3-D. I hope it isn't a travesty to admit that my mind was not blown by Mr. Burton's latest work. I mean, I didn't dislike it or anything, I just didn't have much of an opinion about it at all (which is never a good sign, in my opinion). I think a lot of the hype around the movie was based on the fact that A) it's in 3-D, which is still new and exciting and B) it was directed by Tim Burton, and we all love him. The costumes and computer-generated sets were really visually arresting and that pretty much made the experience for me. I guess what bothered me most about the film was that it had so much potential to really explore complex concepts and either I missed them or Burton did. Now that the basic elements of film can be completely computer-generated (and when they are), my expectations for the content of those films has sky-rocketed. If you are going to remake a story like "Alice and Wonderland," which was extremely fresh and influential when it was written in 1865, you have to introduce new elements that will impress a discerning modern audience. In my opinion, Burton didn't take it far enough. While such a fantastical, well-known world provided the perfect forum for serious philosophical exploration, his reinterpretation seemed limited to a showcase of new technological toys. If it were meant to be a children's film I might look at it differently, but I'd prefer to think that this isn't the sort of film that people are taking young children to. I thought it was pretty dark--closer to "Pan's Labyrinth" than "Peter Pan" (okay, I'm exaggerating, but you get the idea...)

Did anybody else go see it over the weekend? I'd really love to be proven wrong--what are your thoughts? Did it go completely over my head?